Dover cruise port is the second largest cruise port in the UK, and one of Europe's largest passenger ports. It claims to be the world's busiest passenger port. It is situated in Dover, South East England. Geographically, it is the closest town to the continent. It is the nearest English port to France with France just 21 miles away. The gradual development of the port throughout the centuries has produced the vast artificial harbour that we know today, with depths of water up to 10.5 metres and accommodation for shipping up to 300 metres in length. The total area is approximately 1050 acres, of which 700 is water.

Each year 16 million travellers, 700,000 lorries, 1.6 million cars and motorbikes and 118,000 buses pass through it each year.

Since it was formed by Royal Charter in 1606, the port has been owned and operated by the Dover Harbour Board. The port has its own police force - the port of Dover police.

HISTORY:

The History of the port can be traced right back to Roman times. There is a deep cleft in the hills which was formed in prehistoric times by the River Dour. This cleft has always given protection to the small ships. Julius caesar mentioned "haven between the hills" in his commentaries. Evidence that the Romans used the port exists today.

Richard Coeur de Lion departed from Dover on the Third Crusade. In 1422 Henry V was brought back through Dover after his death in France. King Henry VIII ordered that the promontory be extended to form a pier. This was never completed as the still water in the lee of the pier caused a deposit of shingle across the front of the bay.

At the start of the 19th Century a haven of refuge for the fleet to be constructed at Dover Bay was propsed. In 1847 the government began the construction of the Admiralty Pier. It was envisaged that this would be the Western Arm of the haven. This stopped the silting of the harbour mouth as it cut off the easterly drift of shingle from the direction of Folkestone. In 1897 the construction took a step forward when construction commenced on the Eastern Arm, the Southern Breakwater and the Admiralty Pier extension. It was completed in 1909, and was deemed one of the greatest feats in port construction of its time.

Since World war II development has been continuous in order to keep up with the demands from passengers, tourist cars and roll-on roll-off freight. In 1978 a Hoverport was opened at the Western docks at a cost of £12m. In 1953 Dover's first two drive-on drive-off ferry berths were opened at the Eastern Docks. Until then all vehicles were put on and removed by crane. Within a few years of opening the drive-on and drive-off facilities, and with close to 100,000 vehicles passing through when only 10,000 had been anticipated, it was anticipated that available land space would soon be swamped. So in the mid 1960s land was reclaimed at the Eastern Docks seawards of the original customs hall and terminal buildings. A new berth was constructed. It was opened in 1965 and called No.4. It was a new generation double deck single width deck which allowed two lanes of vehicles to be loaded or unloaded simultaneously. In the late 1960s additional ferry berths were planned due to the increase in traffic. Work on No.3 began. In 1965 roll-on roll-off freight arrived, replacing the previous vehicle loading procedure.

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